The Interaction between Social Support and Coping in HIV+ Women in Western Kenya and North Carolina

Abstract

This cross-cultural study investigates the challenges affecting HIV+ women in rural Kenya and Durham, North Carolina. Examining the linkages between social support and coping, the study finds that many experiences with social support and coping are shared across countries, despite differences in education, occupation status, and cultural identities. Age, education, and employment status were not found to be statistically significant determinants of total COPE or treatment-specific social support scores for either population. Religion was a recurring theme in both contexts, both in the quantitative and qualitative sets of data. It was a statistically significant determinant of total treatment-specific social support and also mentioned many times throughout the interviews as a preferred coping method. Most of the women expressed that support from their family and friends as well as health professionals helped them to positively cope with their disease and gave them hope for prolonged life.